A plan that would have let the voters decide whether to hike the state's cigarette tax by 32 cents was rejected by the House Ways and Means Committee Tuesday. The measure, by Rep. Katrina Jackson, was the second tobacco tax increase that failed to gain traction in the committee.

Jackson's bill is likely the last attempt at a cigarette tax hike this session and faced an unusual coalition of opponents as it came up for debate. Retailers who sell cigarettes, predictably, slammed the tax as too high, while the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network argued the increase was too low to win their support.

Committee members rejected the proposal 11-7.

The measure, House Bill 537, would have allowed voters to decide whether to increase the tobacco tax from 36 cents to 68 cents per pack, the same as the tax levied by Mississippi. The money raised would have been directed toward healthcare and education.

Rep. Katrina Jackson, D-Monroe

With the defeat of Jackson's bill, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Joel Robideaux said it appeared major efforts at increasing or decreasing state taxes were truly dead for this legislative session. However, he held open the possibility that lawmakers could deal with some of the state's 468 tax exemptions before the session ends on June 6.

The tobacco tax increase faced heavy criticism from a room full of opponents Tuesday. Among the more unlikely people speaking against the bill was Andrew Muhl, of the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network.

While the organization has typically been in favor of tobacco tax increases, Muhl said that proposed hike was too small to actually change customers' behavior, and that tobacco companies would find ways to cover the new cost with coupons and discounts.

"This is a unique situation, and it's a little unusual to be at the table next to the tobacco industry," Muhl told the committee.

"We only support amounts that will change behavior," he added, noting that there would be no significant health benefits if the bill did not discourage people from smoking.

Jackson, D-Monroe, shot back, noting that the measure would help pay for the healthcare costs of smoking and providing funds for higher education to help research cancer and train doctors.

"I cannot fathom that the Cancer Society would come up here (as opponents) with as much research money comes from this bill," she said.

Jackson, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said she would not be deterred from a plan to bring other bills sponsored by the caucus that aimed at increasing taxes later this year in an effort to help reduce the state's budget problems.

The rapid disintegration of tax plans has left many lawmakers with whiplash this session. Robideaux said the quick rise and fall of various proposals has left the Legislature with "tax fatigue" that could prevent support from forming around any new proposals.

Stand-alone tobacco tax bills seemed to be the next step in the process, but with what Robideaux described as the "pretty significant defeat" of Jackson's bill, it seems unlikely any will resurface this year.

That leaves little on the table for major tax changes this year, the last regular session until 2015, when lawmakers will be able to consider measures that increase revenue.

There does remain the possibility of reducing, eliminating or suspending state tax breaks, however, which would have the same effect. While Robideaux said he has not been approached by anyone seeking to go in that direction, and will not be moving any of his own bills dealing with the subject, lawmakers could be swayed to take another look at those exemptions as they comb through the state's $24.7 billion budget. The House Appropriations Committee is set to begin trying to move the budget to the full chamber next week.

"Once the budget starts moving and everyone sees how bad it is, that could change," Robideaux said.